


5 Times Leonard and Sara Met (+1)

by caitastrophe8499



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M, Through the Years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:42:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27428116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitastrophe8499/pseuds/caitastrophe8499
Summary: A little what-if I've had completed for a while.  AU, not metas, no Legends, no time travel.When Leonard goes to pick up his sister from school, he meets Sara Lance. Quick shots of their friendship through the years.5 times + 1 format.
Relationships: Sara Lance/Leonard Snart
Comments: 96
Kudos: 77





	1. 29 and 15

Leonard's steel-toed boots knocked against the tile as he walked into Central City High, the familiar off-white paint and smell of too many teens with too little deodorant bringing back memories he'd rather ignore. He proceeded directly towards the front office, where he saw a group of teens waiting. Three boys sat on one side of the room, two with black eyes, with an additional bloody lip. The third boy had four scratches going down his face, just over one eye, and his shirt was torn, hanging off his shoulder. All of them were staring at the two figures on the other side of the room.

One of them was a tiny blonde girl he'd never seen before. Her lip was bloodied and she held an ice pack to her right thumb, which was already swelling. He could see that the knuckles on her left hand were bruised and split.

Next to her, sat his little sister Lisa. Her hair was a mess, and he noticed the beginnings of a black eye on her, too.

"Lenny," Lisa started, but they were interrupted.

"Are you her father?" the receptionist asked. 

Leonard turned. "Brother. I’m her legal guardian."

The secretary blinked, then nodded. "The principal would like a word with you and Lisa."

Leonard nodded and gestured for Lisa to go into the office first. He followed, shutting the door behind then.

Principal Mayser looked exactly the same as when Leonard had known him in his high school years, down to the bags under his eyes and the crooked mustache. He got to his feet when they walked in And shook Leonard's hand.

"Mr. Snart, it's nice to see you again," he said. "I heard you're working for a security company."

"It's Leonard," he said, taking one of the chairs in front of the desk. "And I am. I was there when I got the call that Lisa was fighting." He glanced at Lisa.

"Yes," Mayser sighed. "Well, from what I can gather, it's not entirely clear cut. Ms. Snart, why don't you tell us what happened?"

Lisa glanced at Leonard, then back at the principal. "I was walking back through the quad from buying lunch, and I was cutting between the science building and the gym."

Leonard recalled that narrow walkway. Out of sight of teachers and where the smokers liked to hang out. Most times, mild juvenile nonsense was all that happened there, but sometimes it was worse.

"Hank and Chris and Bobby were there, and they said some sh- some things," she corrected herself.

"What things?" Mayser asked.

Lisa flushed slightly. "They said they heard my dad was in prison and asked what for."

Leonard did his best to control his expression. They'd left Lewis the day Leonard turned 18 and the bastard had been in prison for five years already, but he was still hanging over their heads.

Lisa's voice dropped. "Chris said he heard it was for being a pimp, and asked if I was still working."

Leonard glanced at Mayser, who looked upset, but not surprised.

"What happened then?" he asked.

"I ignored them and tried to walk away," Lisa said. "Hank grabbed my hair and pulled me back, and then Bobby…" she gestured towards her skirt. "He tried to put his hand-"

She broke off, her face red with anger or shame and Leonard sincerely hoped it was the first. Before he could lose his temper entirely, Lisa cleared her throat and continued.

"But then Sara showed up. She told Bobby to back off and he said no and called her a bitch, and so Sara jumped on him. She knocked him down, but Hank and Chris joined in. I tried to pull them off of her. Then the security officer came and, yeah." She shrugged.

Mayser sighed and sat back. "I am very sorry, Ms. Snart. Those boys will be suspended for at least a week. If you'd like to press charges, you'd be well within your right."

Leonard looked at Lisa, who merely shrugged again. "That'll only make them angrier. And I've had worse. It's not a big deal."

That broke Leonard's heart a little, but he looked at Mayser. "What's next?"

"Nothing for Lisa. She didn't instigate anything. Those boys will be suspended and we'll make sure that they're watched for the rest of the year. Mr. Robbins is a senior, so I think the loss of their leader will make the other two mellow out. I will express to their parents that you have the option to press charges, so maybe that will keep them in line."

That was more than most principals would do, so Leonard accepted it, ready to go. He got to his feet, thanking Mayser, as Lisa got up.

"What about Sara?" she asked.

"What about her?"

"She won't get in trouble, will she?" Lisa asked. "She was only trying to help me."

"Ms. Lance's history is a bit more complicated," Mayser began. "This isn't the first fight she's gotten into."

"But she was sticking up for me," Lisa said.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's a conversation for Ms. Lance, her mother, and myself."

Leonard saw Lisa's face glower and interrupted before she could argue more. "C'mon, Lis. Let's go."

As they headed out, the blonde was called in, and Lisa made to speak with her when the receptionist interrupted.

"We only have about a half-hour left of school. If you want to go grab your things, you can leave early," she said.

Lisa glanced at Leonard, who nodded. He stayed in the lobby, leaning against the wall and glaring at the boys who still sat there. They shifted uncomfortably and refused to meet his eyes.

As he was waiting, an older blonde woman came in and went straight towards reception. “Hello, Joyce.”

“Hello, Dinah. She’s already in back.”

Dinah let out a resigned sigh. “I thought it was Star City that got her into trouble. Or maybe her father. Turns out, it’s just Sara.”

The receptionist smiled and gestured for her to go on back. Lisa reappeared a few moments later, just as the door opened up and Sara walked out.

“Mayser said I was supposed to go get my stuff,” she told the receptionist, her voice subtly angry, but controlling it.

“Alright, dear,” Joyce said. “Go on back.”

Seeing Lisa’s face, it was clear she wanted to say something to Sara, so they walked away from the lobby with her. He watched in silence as Lisa got close to Sara.

“Did you get in trouble?”

Sara shrugged. “Not really. My mom’ll be the issue.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault. They were being jerks”

They were at the junction to the front door and back to the classes. Lisa hesitated. “Thank you, for what you did.”

“No problem,” Sara said, giving her a crooked little smile.

“I’ll see you in English,” Lisa said with a little wave.

Sara looked surprised and her smile was a little warmer. “See you.”

Lisa headed towards the door and Sara waved after her, but Leonard caught the wince from her busted hand as she turned down the hall.

“Hey, Rocky,” Leonard called.

Sara paused and looked back at him.

"Next time, keep your thumb on the outside," he told her.

Her mouth quirked up again, and she nodded.

Leonard followed his sister outside.


	2. 31 and 17

The phone rang, startling Leonard out of his focus on the blueprints in front of him. He frowned at the display and picked it up. “Hey, Lisa, what’s going on?”

_ “Lenny. Remember how you said that if I needed a ride out of someplace, even if it was somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be, you’d pick me up, no questions?” _

He closed his eyes. “What’s the address?”

She rattled off an address that was definitely not her friend Zari’s house, which is where she was supposed to go after her junior prom. Leonard jotted it down and started moving towards the door. “Ten minutes.”

_ “We’ll be outside.” _

Leonard grabbed his keys and jogged down from their second-story apartment and to his car. He made it to the address in eight minutes. It was a nice development, with massive houses that had giant green spaces between each home. He didn’t pull into the driveway, seeing two figures standing on the edge of the street.

He stopped in front of them, and Lisa got into the front seat, while Sara slid into the back. Leonard didn’t ask questions, he knew the deal, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to figure it out.

Lisa’s burgundy red dress looked in fine condition, but two of her nails were broken, and the knuckles on her right hand were split. Her hair was a little messed up, but that could have been from dancing. Adjusting the mirror, he caught sight of Lisa’s golden shadow in the back.

Sara wore blue, and it looked like the sleeve of her dress was torn. What was more concerning was that she looked a little frightened.

Sara Lance had been hanging around his and Lisa’s apartment ever since their less than impressive first meeting. She spent at least two nights a week there, holed up in Lisa’s room, the two of them giggling into all hours of the night. He couldn’t find it in him to be irritated, considering Lisa’s confidence had skyrocketed and her issues with her classmates had dropped to almost zero. Sara could be a little feral, but he saw how difficult it was for her to be here with her mom, while her sister stayed with her dad in Star City. Dinah was a nice enough person and had no issues with Lisa or Leonard, but she was constantly finding fault with Sara. So who was Leonard to deny the kid some time away from the house that made her so mad?

But in the two years she’d basically lived at his house part-time, Leonard had never seen Sara afraid. Angry, pissed, sad, sure. He’d had to fight her off of the last of his cereal, and overheard the impressive list of insults she’d rattled off about a boy who’d dumped Lisa, but he’d never seen her scared.

He glanced at Lisa, who had twisted back in her seat to look at Sara in concern. Sara didn’t look at either one of them but stared at the window, her shoulders rolled in and her feet tucked up on the seat. Lisa met his eye and shook her head a little.

So Leonard didn’t ask what he wanted to ask. Instead, he said, “Rocky, you’re welcome to spend the night, but you need to let your mom know.”

Sara didn’t seem to acknowledge him at first, even though he used that nickname almost exclusively since she’d started hanging around. He was about to repeat it, but she pulled her phone out of the small bag at her side and texted her mom. She showed Lisa the text to confirm, who nodded. Leonard drove them back to his place.

As they went up the stairs, he led the way, and unlocked the door for the girls, letting them go in first. Sara wasn’t limping and she didn’t have any bruises that he could see, but that didn’t mean anything.

“You can get changed first,” Lisa said quietly to Sara. “Borrow some of my clothes.”

Sara nodded and walked down the short hallway, where she vanished into Lisa’s room and shut the door behind her.

Leonard looked down at his little sister. “Lisa -” he started lowly.

“You said no questions,” she said, her voice small.

“I don’t care what rules you broke, and you’re not in trouble,” Leonard said, keeping his voice as calm as he could. “But do I need to call the police?” he asked, looking at Lisa’s hand.

“Why would you -”

“Rocky’s dress is ripped and you’ve been punching someone,” he said shortly, trying to get her to understand. “If something happened, we need to report it now, or -”

“No,” Lisa said, taking a step closer as she dropped her voice. “Nothing like that happened. We went to Becca’s afterparty because her parents weren’t home and the games got out of hand. Sara told a guy no, and he didn’t listen, so I made him.”

“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t report it,” Leonard said.

“Sara doesn’t want to. I offered to call, but she just said she wanted to leave.”

God, some twat kid getting away with this was going to keep him up at night, but he had to hope that getting punched by his little sister might keep him from trying something like this again. But if Sara didn’t want to report it, there was little he could do. He didn’t even know who the kid was. The conversation ended when Lisa’s door opened and Sara poked her head out.

“I’m done.”

“Okay,” Lisa called, heading down towards her room. The door shut again and Leonard stood in the kitchen for a long time, staring down the hallway at the closed door. There were voices for a few minutes, then quiet.

Definitely not in the mood to sleep, he took a seat at the table and checked his phone, seeing a message from Dinah:  **Thanks for letting Sara spend the night.**

He quickly responded with  **Not a problem** knowing that it was a veiled check-in to make sure that Sara was actually at his home. Not entirely unwarranted, considering the evening’s events. Deciding to get some more work done, he pulled the blueprints nearer, made himself another cup of coffee, and tried to focus on work.

It was another hour or two later when Lisa’s door opened up again and he heard the bathroom door shut. When it opened again, he wasn’t surprised as Sara came down the hallway, dressed in an old t-shirt that Lisa had once worn, and a pair of sweatpants.

“Do you mind if I have some cereal?” she asked him.

“Since when do you need to ask?” Leonard answered, keeping his eyes on his work.

There was a tiny huff that might have been laughter, then the cupboards opened up and Sara poured out some cereal to eat dry. Though he knew Sara had enough to eat at home, he’d never be able to refuse either of the girls food or snacks. He’d dealt with that enough in his youth. She sat down across the table from him and crunched on her snack, watching him work in silence.

A few quiet moments passed before she spoke. “Aren’t you going to ask me what happened?”

Leonard kept his eyes on his work. “Nope. That’s the deal.”

“It’s a free pass out of trouble?”

He looked up then. “No. It’s a free pass out of danger.”

Sara’s eyes were big, her face still too pale, and the smile was a lie he didn’t like to see. Slowly, it faded and she dropped her eyes back to the cereal, picking out the marshmallows. "It was my idea to go to the party. Not Lisa’s.”

He sincerely doubted that but he knew the girls’ tendency to back one another up, so he didn’t bother questioning it. Sara’s adolescent antics tended to focus on adrenaline rushes - skipping school to go to the fair, her brief stint with street racing, and the memorable day she’d “borrowed” his friend Mick’s motorcycle and nearly killed herself on it. Lisa’s rebellions were more classic - sneaking out to meet boys, going to parties. The one time she’d lied and the two of them had gone to a club had been made exceptionally uncomfortable for both of them, as Leonard had been at that club.

Sara shifted, drawing his attention back. “Lisa punched a guy for me.”

“I’m sure he deserved it.”

Sara didn’t look up. “We were playing spin the bottle. It was supposed to be fun. Jake kissed other people,” she said, naming her date to prom. “My spin landed on Becca’s friend Heather. So I kissed her.”

Leonard didn’t comment, he just kept quiet, watching her pick through her cereal as she spoke, her voice detached.

“Apparently Jake didn’t like that. He said I looked like I enjoyed it too much. And then he brought up the rumors from last year.”

Leonard recalled those rough few weeks when kids at school were taunting Sara and calling her a lesbian. At the time, it seemed like she hadn’t cared that much.

“He said he was gonna make me like boys again. I told him to stop, but he didn’t. Lisa pulled him off and punched him. Then we left.” She shrugged as if she didn’t care. “Jake’s a wuss, he was just drunk. It doesn’t matter.”

Leonard let out a little sigh and sat back. “So what’s bugging you, then?”

Sara shrugged again, her finger moving through the cereal, no marshmallows left to be found. “I don’t know.”

Leonard waited, knowing that he had more patience than any teenage girl.

She let out a sigh, pushing the bowl away from her. “What if they’re right?”

“Who?”

“Everyone. That I like girls. And boys.”

Leonard had handled a lot of conversations raising Lisa - conversations about her period, about safe sex, about boys - he really wasn’t prepared to have a conversation about someone else’s kid’s sexuality, but here he was.

“There are worse things in life than to be bi, Rocky,” he said. “You could be an asshole.”

Sara laughed, her shoulders finally losing some of their tension.

“People will always find something to talk about,” Leonard continued. “You can let it get to you, or you can own it. They tease you about being bi? Say yeah, you are, and move on. If you aren’t ashamed of it, they can’t hold it over you.”

She nodded. “Thanks, Len.”

“You’re welcome. Now eat the rest of your cereal, that’s the healthy part.”

“You don’t eat it.”

“I’m an adult. I don’t have to.”

She let out a sigh and pulled the bowl back to her.


	3. 32 and 18

“Lisa Snart.”

Leonard clapped, Mick’s cheers nearly drowning out the next kid’s name, as Lisa crossed the stage and grabbed her diploma. She glanced towards the stands and Leonard grinned at her when she saw him. She gave a little wave, and then returned to her seat, beaming.

“Can’t believe you managed to pull this off,” Mick muttered next to him.

Being Lisa’s brother and guardian had been a hell of a ride. He was just lucky there was a significant age gap between them, or the shouting matches would have been even more horrific than they had been.

“She did it, not me.”

Mick scoffed. “You did more than most of these assholes, Snart. That kid’s a good one, ‘cause of you. Be proud.”

He was. Very proud. Lisa had not only graduated top 2% of her class, but she’d been accepted into every college she’d applied to, with scholarships. The schools had all offered her varying amounts, and her guidance counselor had helped her apply for others. Between all that and Leonard’s security company finally turning a profit two years ago, she was able to have her pick. She’d opted for a fashion and design program out of Metropolis University, which was a little further than Leonard would have liked, but he was going to find a way to deal.

As the last names were called, the crowd began to scatter onto the field, parents finding their children and pulling them in for pictures and hugs. Leonard and Mick wandered down to the easternmost entrance to the bleachers, Leonard texting Lisa where to meet them.

He saw her approaching, the wide smile still on her face that made her look younger than she appeared. It was hard to believe that she’d be going off to college in a few months. He was mildly irritated to feel a lump forming in his throat as she came nearer.

Luckily, he had a moment to collect himself, as Lisa was intercepted by a friend, who demanded a picture. Then she came bouncing over to him with a grin. Leonard handed over the bouquet of flowers he’d gotten for her and she grinned.

“Congrats,” he said, hugging her with one arm.

She laughed, hugging a little tighter than normal. “Thanks, Lenny.”

“Nice job, golden girl,” Mick said, ruffling her hair.

Lisa shoved his arm away but smiled up at him. She looked around, catching sight of someone else. “Oh, there’s Sara!”

She was off again, leaving her mortarboard with Leonard. He watched her catch an unsuspecting Sara in a hug. Behind them, he spotted Dinah, who waved. He waved back but didn’t approach, seeing an older gentleman by her, his face drawn in a scowl. As soon as Dinah turned back, the two of them continued in a heated discussion, with lots of gesturing and a few fingers pointed at Sara. In between was a girl who looked to be a few years older than Sara, though she had the same chin and nose.

Lisa ran off as another girl called her name, getting another half dozen photos. Mick let out a groan. “I’m gonna go wait in the car. We still goin’ to Tony’s for dinner?”

“Yeah. See you there in a bit,” Leonard said, leaning against the bleachers.

Sara was staring at her parents, but they didn’t look at her. She looked around, catching sight of Leonard, who nodded at her. She came over, her mortarboard still in place.

“Congratulations, Rocky.”

She smiled, but it was thin. “Thanks.” She looked back at her family.

“That your dad?” Leonard asked after a moment.

“Yup. And Laurel, my sister.”

“Nice that they came out,” Leonard said dryly.

She snorted. “They’ve been arguing nonstop.” Her voice turned a little bitter. “See, mom wants me to go to Central City University, so she can keep an eye on me. Dad wants me to go to Star City to go pre-law, like Laurel, so they can keep an eye on me, but since they haven’t seen any letters from either, they’re panicking.”

Leonard frowned down at her. “You should’ve gotten those letters months ago.”

“I did. I got in to both.”

He would have congratulated her, but there was something in her voice…

“I’m not going to either. I’m tired of my mom always giving me a hard time about everything, and I don’t want to live in Laurel’s shadow.”

“So what’s the plan?” he asked.

Sara watched her parents arguing for another moment, but didn't seem to be seeing them. “I enlisted in the military. I leave Monday. I’m telling them tonight.”

Leonard stared at the tiny blonde for a moment, surprised at how hard that simple comment hit him. She’d been such a staple in his home the past three years, and she was so close with Lisa, he knew this was going to hurt his sister.

And he worried about Sara. She’d always been too reckless with her own safety. Too unconcerned with her own well-being. Knowing that she was going to be putting herself in such direct danger, it made his heart hurt a little.

“Hell of a conversation to have,” he managed.

“I need to get out of here. Get away from them. Figure out what I want, without them trying to tell me.”

He didn’t know what to say, and Sara picked up on that, so she smiled up at him.

“Thanks for being there for me, Len. You didn’t have to, and I really appreciate everything you did for me.”

“I didn’t do all that much.”

Sara narrowed her eyes at him. “I know you got Jake transferred out of my classes. I don’t know how, but I know it was you. You and Lisa were the only ones I ever told.”

Well, he wasn’t going to lie to her. And it had taken some doing. He just remained quiet, but Sara seemed to take that as his answer.

“You’re a really great brother. Lisa’s lucky to have you in her life.”

Geez. He wasn’t prepared for this. He cleared his throat past the second, unexpected lump that formed. “You’re a good kid. Glad you and Lisa met. Don’t do anything too stupid, I wanna see you back here for your reunions.” He remembered suddenly, and reached into his pocket, pulling out a card for her. It wasn’t much, but she was a good kid. She deserved more. “Open it.”

She took it and tore off the wrapping, seeing a small card with a picture of Rocky on the outside. She laughed and opened it. There wasn’t much of a note, it just said, _Give ‘em hell, Rocky._ Inside, he’d tucked a fifty dollar bill and -

“A buy one, get one free coupon for Lucky Charms?” she said, with a smile.

“Since you won’t be able to steal mine anymore.”

“Thank you,” she laughed, folding the card back up. “For everything.” She grinned up at him, holding out her fist. Thumb on the outside.

He bumped his fist against her, feeling ancient at the stupid move. “See you around, Rocky.”

Sara smiled up at him and walked back to her family.

Leonard watched her go, his smile fading. He didn’t know that he’d ever see that kid again.


	4. 38 and 24

Leonard took a breath outside the club, stealing himself. He really didn’t want to be here. Not that he didn’t want to celebrate, but...why here? The music came pumping out of the walls to the street, boding terribly for what waited inside. He hadn’t even gone home to change; if he’d gone home, he never would have left again, so here he was, in his suit, at a club designed for twenty-somethings. Gritting his teeth, he moved towards the door, the bouncers at the door recognizing him and letting him in.

The music was loud but tolerable. There were over fifty people here to celebrate Lisa’s birthday, and Leonard barely knew any of them. Lisa had wanted to go big for this party, and with Mick owning the club, it seemed an obvious decision. Lisa was dancing, so Leonard added his gift to the pile by the door, and went to the bar.

He’d just gotten a drink when a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. Luckily, he recognized the charm bracelet on her wrist and turned to see his little sister.

“Happy birthday,” he said, giving her a half hug.

Lisa smiled up at him, her eyes bright and happy. He’d give anything for her to keep that expression on her face, so he ignored the loud music.

“Hell of a party,” he said.

She nodded. “Almost everyone I invited came. Make sure you meet Cisco.”

Leonard’s smile faded a little. Oh, he’d heard a lot about Cisco when Lisa started her internship at S.T.A.R. Labs. Her degree in fashion and design had been combined with some on the job experience, and she’d been working with the lab to create protective suits, alternatives to classic casts, and shoes that were designed to grow with the owner. When she’d graduated, she’d been offered a full-time position there, and though Leonard was thrilled to have her home again, he was also certain that Cisco was interested in his sister. And that Lisa wasn’t opposed.

“I will,” he promised.

“Be nice,” Lisa ordered. The door opened again, and Lisa looked over, her eyes widening. “Oh my god.”

She ran off, and Leonard, only seeing a couple more younger partygoers, turned back to his drink, wondering if Mick was hiding in the upper offices, and how soon he could slip away...

He moved over to one of the unoccupied booths, where he had a good view of the dance floor and close proximity to the bar. He’d meet this Cisco, then go upstairs and have a few drinks with Mick before leaving. Lisa looked thrilled, chatting with a few people on the dance floor, and more and more kept coming up to hug her and give her gifts.

Lisa spotted him and turned back to her friends. She was speaking and though he could read lips, he only caught part of it, “- gonna be thrilled to see you!”

He forced a faint smile as Lisa dragged over a woman that looked to be about her age, her dark blonde hair tightly braided on one side of her head, the rest of it loose. At first, Leonard had no idea who it was, but then the blonde looked up. She gave him a crooked smile and held her fist out in front of her, thumb on the outside.

Leonard’s brows went up and he straightened in his seat. “...Rocky?”

Sara Lance, who he hadn’t seen in six years, cut her eyes at Lisa. “Guess I owe you five bucks,” she said. Her voice was lower than he remembered, and she definitely hadn’t had that scar on her cheek at graduation.

“Told you he’d remember you,” Lisa chirped, beaming. She looked at Leonard. “Sara’s back in town!” She hugged Sara tightly, and the blonde returned the gesture, that same half-smile on her face.

“Permanently?” Leonard asked.

Sara nodded as Lisa released her. “Yeah. I just got a job here.”

“Guess we’ll have to stock up on Lucky Charms,” he said.

Someone called Lisa’s name and she glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, sorry, I’ll be right back!” Then she was gone, and Sara shuffled uncomfortably, clearly disinclined to join the crowd on the dance floor.

“You can sit,” Leonard offered, gesturing towards the other side of the booth.

Sara nodded but glanced at the bar. “Thanks. Just give me a sec.”

She went over and got a whiskey to match his, returning to sit across from him. She looked well enough, considering everything. A little leaner, a little more tired, but still Sara.

“Lisa told me you were in Afghanistan,” he said.

She gave him another quick nod. “Yeah. I’ve only been stateside for a month. I spent a couple weeks in Star City, with my dad. Then a week with my mom. She moved to National City a few years ago.”

“I heard. And I’m sorry about your sister.” He’d run into Dinah almost immediately following Laurel’s death, and knew it hit the family hard.

“Thanks,” she said quietly. She took a sip. “I hear Lisa’s doing amazing things. S.T.A.R. Labs and all. That’s great.”

“It is. She’s happy. Even met a guy,” he said, less than charitably.

That got an almost full smile out of her. “Oh, do we not like him?”

“Haven’t met him, just heard enough about him from Lis.”

Sara laughed quietly, much more subdued than he remembered her being. “And Mick owns this club now, huh? I used to love this place.”

“I am well aware,” Leonard said pointedly.

Sara’s eyes widened, and she let out a real laugh that time, making him smile. “Oh my god, this was the bar where we ran into you! Lis was so embarrassed.”

“That she chose the same club as her big brother? I wasn’t that out of touch.”

“No,” she laughed again, unable to get herself under control. “We saw you from behind and I commented on, well,” she gestured at him, as if that clarified things, “and then you turned around and she realized it was you. She was red for days, and she banned me from coming over for a while.”

He distinctly remembered that Sara had been absent from the apartment for a few days, even though the girls hadn’t appeared to have had a blow-up of any kind. He hadn’t realized he was the reason. “I have to remember to bring that up soon, we’ve been getting along too well.”

Sara sipped her drink, still laughing a little, and Leonard was reminded of years ago when she’d always been laughing at his house, the three of them grouped around his crooked kitchen table, playing cards and betting cereal. He rarely missed the little apartment they’d spent most of their lives in, but he got nostalgic every once in a while.

A balloon popped behind them, and though Leonard was surprised, he didn’t move. Sara, on the other hand, jumped visibly and ducked her head partway down before she stopped herself, taking a deep breath.

Leonard didn’t mention it. He still got that fight/flight response whenever a door slammed too loudly, or if he smelled a particular brand of cheap vodka. Lisa couldn’t deal with people yelling at her, and Leonard was always careful to keep his temper on a tight leash, never hitting anything, not even the walls, in frustration. He’d had almost twenty years and still flinched; it had only been a month for Sara.

“I need some air,” he said, getting to his feet. “Wanna join me?”

Sara got to her feet a little quickly. “Sure.”

They went to the front, gated patio area. It was empty, as it was a little cold and Leonard wasn’t in the mood to sit again, so he leaned against one of the tables. “How have you been?”

“I’m okay,” she said, sounding honest. “Taking it one day at a time. Some are better than others.”

“But you’re okay?” They both knew he didn’t mean right this second.

She nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Couple scars. Some aches when it gets cold. But I was lucky. Some of my friends weren’t.”

“Well, we’re glad you’re back. It’s good to see you.”

“Yeah,” she said, giving him another little smile. “It’s good to see you, too. How have you been? Your company looks like it’s been doing well.”

“It has been. Moved out of the apartment into a new place on Oak Street.”

“I liked your old place,” Sara said wistfully.

“I did, too. Where are you staying now?”

“A complex by the consulting place I work for. Helping vets find jobs. It’s not a lot of money, but I think I’ll like it.”

“Good.”

Sara glanced at her phone and sighed. “Ugh, I hate to just go, but I have to be up early. Can you tell Lisa I’ll call her tomorrow?”

“Sure,” he said, disappointed she was leaving so soon. "Lisa has your number?"

"Yeah," she said, her voice quiet, maybe a little tired.

“I’ll get it from her. We’ll get drinks or something soon.”

“Cards?”

“Sure. Think I've still got a couple boxes of Lucky Charms in the cabinet. Won't even make you eat the healthy parts.” He smiled down at her and was surprised at how relieved he was that she was back. “It’s good to have you home, Rocky.”

"It’s good to be home."

He smiled at her and she stared back at him for a moment before clearing her throat.

“Oh,” she said, reaching into her pocket. She flipped open her wallet and withdrew a five-dollar bill. “Can you give this to Lisa?”

Leonard took it, but he caught sight of something else in the slot for billfolds. Sara looked down and laughed a little. She pulled out a folded card, and Leonard looked into the creased, faded eyes of Sylvester Stalone’s Rocky.

It was dirty, and there were some dark marks on it that he didn’t want to look too closely at. Instead, he looked up and met her eyes.

Sara tucked the card back into its spot, pocketing her wallet. She shoved her hands into her pockets. “I should go.”

“Need a ride?” It was so automatic for him, having been the girls' prime mode of transportation for years.

She smiled, dropping her eyes for a second. “Thanks, but I'm close and I like walking. G’night, Len.”

“Night.”

Turning on her heel, she walked off into the darkness. Leonard watched her go, and couldn’t stop himself. “Did you?”

She turned, walking backward. “Did I what?”

“Give ‘em hell?”

Sara laughed again, her eyes dancing in the darkness. “Every day. I’ll see you around.”

“See you around, Rocky."


	5. 39 and 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> So, guess who can't fucking Math? It's me.
> 
> This was supposed to be a 5 (+1) format, but my macaroni brain threw in another 1, so this is 5 (+2)? Or 6 (+1)? More of a 5 (+1) and an epilogue. I don't even know. In all, you'll get 7 chapters instead of the original 6. I'm sure you all mind so very much. Enjoy.
> 
> I'm not changing the title, though.

Leonard took the glass Sara handed to him with a thank you.

"Figured you'd need some liquid courage," she grinned. The braids were gone, her blonde hair starting to lighten. He'd been seeing quite a bit of Sara Lance in the past year, and even more so when she started doing some consulting work with S.T.A.R. Labs.

"It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than one glass to get me through this," he said, looking around the laboratory they had all gathered in. Why Cisco had insisted on celebrating here was beyond him, but at least it looked nice for the party.

The engagement party. Of Cisco and his sister. Leonard took a long sip of his drink.

Sara smiled at him, sipping her own. "Cisco really is a great guy. And Lisa loves him."

"I'm aware," Leonard said. "Otherwise, he'd be dead."

Sara took that as the joke it was (mostly) meant to be and laughed, leaning on the high top table Leonard had claimed at the back of the room. The rest of S.T.A.R. Labs' employees were present, with all of their significant others, along with Lisa's slightly smaller group of family and friends, and it was a happy occasion, even if Leonard was still shaken by the idea of his sister getting married.

Sara was watching Lisa and Cisco dance to the music Barry Allen's wife had put on and smiling. She knocked her shoulder against his. "Hard to believe she's all grown up," she said, a teasing note in her voice.

He scoffed. "You two will always be those pain in the ass kids to me."

Sara didn't laugh, just gave him a little smile and straightened up, away from him. He was about to ask what was wrong, but just then, Lisa looked up and waved her over. Sara finished her drink and cut her eyes at Leonard. "Five bucks says she's asking me to be her maid of honor."

"I'm not taking that bet. It's a sure thing."

"Coward," she said, wrinkling her nose at him as she went and joined Lisa on the dance floor. Leonard smiled, watching her go. He had a brief moment of silence before -

"Hey, so you know that Sara chick?"

Leonard narrowed his eyes at Ralph Dibny, who did not heed the warning. Dibny was mostly harmless, but a constant irritation to Leonard. Originally, he only had to deal with him while at the lab, but that was becoming more and more often the closer his security company worked with them.

"Can you introduce me? Cause I'd love to drown in those -"

"Shut your mouth and walk away, Dibny," Leonard said lowly.

"Aw, come on, please? I'll have you know, I'm a very generous lover -"

Leonard took a step forward and Dibny retreated. "So I'll take that as a maybe?"

Leonard ignored him, taking another sip as Mick joined him, watching Dibny scramble away. "What was that?"

"Dibny being Dibny." Leonard saw Sara leave the room, and made sure Dibny didn’t follow her out.

Mick scoffed. "Who's he hitting on this time?"

"Rocky."

"Oh."

There was something in his voice that made Leonard frown. "Oh? What oh?"

"Nothing. Just that you tend to shoot down most people who ask you for an intro to Blondie."

Leonard looked at Mick. "Dibny legitimately used the line, 'Does this smell like chloroform?' to a girl. Why would I make Rocky put up with that?"

Mick grunted. "Sure, but what about Queen?"

"An ex of Rocky's, who she said she didn't want to get involved with again."

"Uhuh. And that Alex chick?"

"What the hell are you saying?" Leonard asked.

Mick sniffed. "That maybe the reason you think nobody measures up to being good enough for Blondie is because you're interested in her."

Leonard stared at Mick for a long moment, trying to put that statement together in his brain. "She's my kid sister's best friend. I'm looking out for her."

"Yeah, she comes to our poker games because she's Lisa's friend."

"Mick -"

"I'm not complaining, I like Blondie. I don't have an issue with you and her. But I do have an issue with you being an ass about it."

"She's a kid."

"Nah, boss, she ain't. Neither is Lisa. Blondie's a tough girl who fought in a war. She's been working her ass off here, and she's one of the few people who make you laugh. So what's the problem?"

"The problem is, that even if I were interested, which I'm not, she's half my age."

"So?"

"So," Leonard said, working hard to keep himself from snapping. "So, that's too damn young for me."

"Ain't the rule something like half your age plus something?"

"I have no idea."

"Hey, Allen!" Mick shouted.

"Mick," Leonard snapped, but it was too late. Barry Allen and the men he was speaking to, Harrison Wells, Ray Palmer, and Cisco Ramon, came over to join them.

"What's up?" Barry asked, smiling at the two of them.

"What's the rule on dating someone younger than you?" Mick asked.

Leonard put his face in his hand. "Please stop."

"Half your age plus seven," Harrison said promptly. "Though that's more of a guideline than a rule."

Amused at how quickly Harrison spouted that off, Leonard raised his head to see Mick counting something.

"You're thirty-nine, and she's - You're only one year off," Mick said. "That's hardly nothing."

"Stop."

"Wait, you want to date someone who's twenty-five?" Ray asked.

"Go Leonard," Cisco muttered, quailing under the glare Leonard gave him.

Harrison was eyeing the crowd and turning to Leonard with a smile. "I see."

"None of you see anything, because nothing is going on. I'm not interested in anyone."

Barry clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, Snart. You can tell us. Is it Zari?"

Leonard downed his drink.

"Felicity?” Ray asked. “Oh, Caitlin?”

"No," Harrison interrupted sharply. "It's Sara Lance."

Leonard glared at Harrison, who didn't quail at all.

"Shit, Sara?" Barry repeated. "Wow."

Cisco tilted his head a little. "No, I can totally see that. Lisa said that Sara's been crushing on Snart forever."

"Called it," Mick said, having done nothing of the sort.

Leonard glared at him. "Yeah, a teenage crush, which was -"

"No, I meant like, now," Cisco said, interrupting him. "It started in high school, sure, but Lisa says Sara's still got it bad for you. She just thinks you only see her as that same kid you met forever ago."

Considering how she reacted to his comment earlier, he didn't doubt that. "Rocky and I are friends. She's too young," Leonard said.

"So you are interested?" Barry pressed, grinning.

Leonard glared at him, but Harry spoke up before he could comment.

"Ms. Lance is younger than you and I, but I wouldn't call her young. She's been through more than most people her age, and I'm sure you agree that events can age people more than years."

"That doesn't mean I should force her to grow up even faster,” Leonard argued.

“I mean, sure, if you were like...coercing her into something,” Barry said. “But if she legitimately likes you…”

“We’re done here.” Leonard shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away from them. Stepping out into the hallway, he hesitated. Lisa would kill him if he left this early, but he was done with those guys for now. So he climbed the steps to the second floor of the lab and opened the door to the balcony.

He stilled for a moment, seeing that it was already occupied, because of course it was, by none other than Sara herself.

“Hey,” she said, shifting over on the railing to leave him space to lean.

He didn’t say anything but joined her on the railing. She held up the bottle of whiskey she was drinking, offering it to him.

“I’m alright, thanks.”

Sara took the bottle back, settling it between them on the ground.

“So, maid of honor?” Leonard asked.

She laughed but didn’t glance at him. “Yeah, smart idea not to take that bet.”

He smiled, unsurprised. “Good.” He leaned his elbows on the railing, seeing that Sara was doing the same. Once he looked over, he found that he couldn’t look away.

Whenever he thought about Rocky, it was usually as that roughed up teen he’d first seen sitting in Mayser’s office, bloody knuckles and feral eyes. But when he looked at her, when he really looked at her -

She wasn’t a kid anymore.

When he looked at  _ Sara  _ \- not his memory of Rocky - he saw a woman younger than him, sure, but not young. Not in the way her shoulders were heavy with the weight of what she’d seen in her years in Afghanistan or in the year she’d been back, helping other veterans. Not in the way her eyes caught how people like Lisa and Leonard tended to flinch at slammed doors or raised voices and adjusted her tone to keep them comfortable, or how she looked at some of the vets who’d come into the Labs, as volunteers to test out the weighted anxiety jackets she’d been designing with Lisa and Cisco. Not in the way her scars made her ache in the winter, or in the way she’d stay late at his house after poker, talking about nothing and everything, not in the way she’d somehow become one of his closest friends -

When had this happened?

She looked over at him, arching a brow, and Leonard’s breath caught.

“What?” she asked, smiling even though she was a little confused.

“Nothing,” Leonard said.

She eyed him, but when he didn’t respond, she shook her head. “Alright, weirdo.” She sighed, grabbing the bottle. “Well, I should head back down. Maid of honor and all.” She raised the bottle to him. “See you later.”

“See you later, Sara.”

She paused for a moment at the door but didn’t look back. Eventually, she went inside, leaving Leonard out there alone.

Looking out at the city, he felt as if he'd never actually seen it until now. Running his hand over his mouth, he scoffed. “What the hell am I going to do now?”


	6. 40 and 27

The crowd quieted at the sound of a fork against a glass. Leonard stopped talking to Mick, seeing Sara step up to the microphone in the corner of the room. Lisa and Cisco, at a small table near the front, smiled at her, Lisa’s white dress not nearly as brilliant as the grin on her face.

“Hey, everyone,” Sara said, with a little wave. “I’m Sara, the maid of honor. For those of you here for the bride, you all know how amazing Lisa is.” She smiled at Lisa, who grinned back at her.

“I first met Lisa when I transferred to Central City High as a freshman. I wasn’t the most social person, so we actually met when there was a fight on campus.” She smiled at the crowd as there were a few laughs. “Shocking, I know.”

Her eyes drifted over the crowd and Leonard smiled faintly as she looked at him. The corner of her mouth tilted up and she continued.

“I didn’t think anything of it, but the next time I saw her, she came up and said that we were friends. It wasn’t exactly optional. And it was the best non-decision I ever made.” She grinned at Lisa again. “Lisa is one of the most genuine, caring, and brilliant people I’ve ever met. She can also throw a mean sucker-punch.”

There was another laugh around the room and Leonard shook his head with a smile.

“I didn’t think there would be anyone in the world good enough for Lisa. Then she met Cisco.” Sara looked back at Cisco, who was smiling widely. “I don’t know if anyone has a bigger heart than Cisco Ramon. And there’s no one more deserving of all of his amazing thoughts and crazy gifts than Lisa.”

Sara spoke directly to Cisco now. “I knew before she did that we’d all end up here at your wedding. After your third date, when you made the planetarium in the Cortex, we met up for breakfast. That morning, she was trying to tell me a joke you’d said, but she couldn’t get through it without laughing. When she finally told me the punchline, it wasn’t funny at all. It was really terrible. But Lisa couldn’t have been laughing harder.”

Leonard chuckled, watching Lisa smile up at Cisco.

“You are the only person who can make Lisa laugh like that. So I know that you two really are meant to be.” Sara lifted her drink towards the couple. “To Lisa and Cisco, one of the most unlikely couples on paper, but one that works so well. Congratulations, and I wish you both all the happiness and bad jokes in the world.”

The entire hall lifted their drinks and shouted their congratulations to the couple, taking a sip of their drinks. Leonard followed suit, smiling as Lisa got up to give Sara a hug.

“And now, as we’ve already had the first dance as a married couple,” Ray, who was functioning as the emcee, said, “Lisa is going to open the dance floor for everyone else with her brother, Leonard.”

Leonard took another large sip of his drink as the piano entrance to the song he’d been forced to pick started. It was his one and only contribution to the playlist.

Still, Lisa smiled up at him and they started moving (only somewhat awkwardly) to the music. It wasn’t that he was all that terrible at dancing, but he didn’t like the attention.

Lisa’s grin tempered slightly as she recognized the song. “How sentimental.”

“I don’t do sentimental,” he said, ignoring all evidence to the contrary.

Lisa nodded, not believing him for a second. Then she smiled a little more. “People are going to think you’re super into musicals now.”

Leonard had figured most people wouldn’t really understand why he’d chosen a piano version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” but Lisa would, and that was all that mattered. “Good thing I don’t care what people think.”

As they turned in a circle, Leonard saw her smile over at Cisco, who was visibly tearing up. He scoffed gently. “You really did find a good one, Lis. Congrats.”

“I know,” she answered. “But I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t done what you did for me.”

Leonard started to shake his head, but Lisa smiled at him. “I know you don’t do sentimental, but let me say this, just once, okay?”

Like he could ever deny her anything.

“You got us out of Dad’s house as soon as you could. You worked two jobs to afford rent and what I needed for school. You were my brother and my parent, and you somehow managed to do both jobs really well. You drove me to dance class and to parties and let me buy dresses for prom and…” she trailed off, exhaling shakily. “You did more than any brother should have to, and you did it all without ever making me feel like a burden. You’ve been taking care of me my whole life, from picking me and Sara up from prom to driving me to college to playing this song when things were bad with Dad. You were and will always be my hero.”

The song was winding down to a close, so Leonard and Lisa just merely swayed for a moment. He was struggling to breathe past the lump in his throat, but he managed a small smile.

“I love you, Lenny,” she said quietly, sounding just like the little four-year-old he’d carried out of their father’s house and into their own shitty, but safe, apartment.

The last chords echoed in the air and Leonard gave Lisa a kiss on the cheek, pointedly ignoring the “aw’s” from the crowd watching them. “Love you too, Lis.”

“Hey,” she said, grabbing his sleeve before he could step back and wrapping him in a tight hug. He hugged her back, then escaped as Ray announced the dance floor was open. Lisa let him go with a smile, and Cisco quickly came up to dance with his new wife.

Leonard moved through the crowd, ignoring the pats on the shoulder as he tried to get back to his table and his -

“Here,” a familiar voice said, getting in his way and holding up a glass.

Taking the whiskey from Sara, Leonard didn’t continue to his seat. “Thanks.” She didn’t move away; the dark purple dress Lisa had picked out was flattering on all the bridesmaids, but especially so on Sara. She sipped her own drink, watching the dance floor becoming more and more hectic.

“Happy belated birthday, by the way,” he said, looking down at her. “Feel like I haven’t seen much of you in a while.”

They’d both been consumed by projects in their respective jobs for a big part of the last year. He was out of town for a few weeks for a consulting job in National City. When he came back, Sara was in some project that kept her working late and on the weekends. Then Sara started dating a girl named Ava and he didn’t see much of her at all for a few months. They broke up, and then she was in Star City visiting her father and celebrating her birthday. When she came back, it was just a few weeks before the wedding, so they were both kept busy in the planning. He hadn’t realized how much time he’d spent with her until she wasn’t around.

“Yeah,” she said, with a little smile. “We’ve both been busy.”

“I’ve missed...having you around,” he admitted, keeping his eyes on Lisa.

Sara looked at him. “Me too. Has Mick been cleaning up at poker nights?”

Leonard chuckled. “Unfortunately. And without you to keep him in line, he’s becoming insufferable.”

She laughed. “We’ll have to fix that. With this project done and the wedding over, hopefully, I’ll have some more free time.”

“Same here.”

“It all turned out really nice,” Sara said, taking a sip of her drink. “She looks so happy.”

“Yeah,” Leonard said, smiling. “She does.”

Sara looked up at him with a smile. “Cisco’s a good guy. They’ll be happy.”

“I know.” He wasn’t all that worried. For all that he irritated Leonard, Cisco was a good man, who loved Lisa very much. Added bonus, he was still intimidated by Leonard and he wasn’t afraid to use that. Not that he saw an immediate need. “I know.”

Touching his arm, Sara turned to go, and Leonard’s mouth moved before his brain could convince him otherwise.

“Wait -”

She paused and waited, and he had no idea what he was going to say.

She raised her brows. “What’s up?”

He took the plunge, knowing that he was running out of opportunities. “Wanna dance?”

Her eyebrows went even higher. “Seriously?”

Not exactly the reaction he was hoping for, but it wasn’t a no. “Seriously.”

She put her glass down on a nearby table and turned back towards him. “Okay.”

Leonard did the same, then they made their way to the center, busier portion of the dance floor. As they did so, the upbeat music faded out a bit abruptly into a much slower song. Leonard glanced over to the DJ’s table to see Raymond grinning and giving him a thumb’s up.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Leonard settled for one glare at Ray before turning his attention on Sara. There was an awkward moment as they got into position, but it was still easier than when he’d danced with Lisa since not all eyes were on them. Though, as he glanced around, seeing Mick grinning, Barry gaping, Harrison smirking, and Cisco whispering to Lisa, it was almost just as bad. He did his best to ignore them, looking at Sara instead.

Who was...frowning. Not what he’d hoped for.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said, looking up at him with a false smile. “Nothing.”

Leonard waited, knowing that Sara’s patience, though improved, still wasn’t as great as his.

She let out a bitter laugh. “Look, I figured after Cisco told you about my stupid crush, I could just take some time away and then we’d go back to normal. I didn’t want...this.”

“Want what?”

“Pity,” she spat out.

“What made you think -”

“Cisco folds like wet cardboard,” she interrupted. “Lisa told me after the engagement party that he’d told you.” She took in a deep breath. “I know it’s stupid, and I’m sure it’ll fade, and I didn’t want things to be weird between us, and I’m sorry.”

“Is that why you’ve been so busy?” he asked quietly. “You’ve been avoiding me?”

She gave him a half-shrug, avoiding his eyes. “A little. Work’s been busy, but that’s because I’ve been volunteering for more. I thought if I took some space, maybe it would go away, or at least you wouldn’t think I’d make it weird.”

He didn’t know what to say to that.

Sara let out a sigh, her shoulders hunching slightly. “So, get it over with.”

“What?” he asked, legitimately confused.

Sara rolled her eyes. “The gentle let-down speech I’m sure you’ve prepared. How I’ll always be that little kid and Lisa’s best friend, and though you care, you’re not interested.”

Leonard took a breath, keeping his voice quiet. “And if I am?”

She shook her head. “Don’t. Please.”

“When, in all the years you’ve known me, have I lied to you?”

“You haven’t.” She still wasn’t looking at him.

“Cisco told me about your crush,” Leonard said. “But Mick pointed out mine. How well you and I get along, how good you are at cards, how often I’ve scared off potential dates.”

“We’re friends,” Sara said. “You’re just looking out for me.” It sounded like she’d said those words to herself often, probably to explain his actions.

“That’s what I told myself, too. Then you started dating Ava.”

Sara looked up at him then, a tentative hope in her eyes.

“And I wasn’t protective or looking out for you. I was...jealous.”

“Why?”

She sounded so shocked that Leonard couldn’t help a small laugh. Then he tugged her a little closer, eliminating the space she’d put between them when the conversation started.

“Why do you think?” he asked quietly. “You were out with her instead of playing cards with me, you were going out of town on the weekends instead of showing up at nine in the morning to steal my food and watch bad movies. Even when you were around, you were with her, and I watched you two together, and I realized...I wished you were with me, instead.”

Sara swallowed but didn’t look away. “Since when?”

“I don’t know,” Leonard said honestly. “It happened so gradually that I was all in before I realized it was beginning.”

“So what now?” Sara asked, a small smile beginning to appear on her lips.

“Well,” he said, taking a small second to glare at Ralph, who was on the edge of the dance floor with his arms crossed, looking, of all things, betrayed. “I figured we could finish this dance and have a drink. Try to get through this without letting Mick get completely wasted or Dibny punched.”

“Unless it’s me.”

“Unless it’s you,” he agreed. “Then, I was thinking we could go out for dinner tomorrow.”

“Who’s we?” Sara pressing, a laugh just under the surface of her words.

“Just me and you.”

Sara grinned, “I’d like that. Any other plans?”

“Hundreds.”

“Good.” She moved a little closer and rested her head against his chest.

When Cisco grinned at him and gave him a thumbs-up, Leonard didn’t even roll his eyes.


	7. Bonus

“So did you ever hear the rule about dating someone younger than you?”

Leonard looked down at Sara, who had her arm tucked around his. They’d just finished eating dinner at a small place near her apartment, and he was walking her home. It hadn’t been incredibly fancy, but she’d dressed up a bit, as had he. Despite being their first official date, there had been no awkwardness, no discomfort. Conversation had moved along as easily as it always did, even if they were both a bit more open with their feelings. And when she’d leaned into him on the way home, it had been even better.

“I have heard something mentioned, yes,” he said, not admitting he’d had that conversation just over a year ago. “Half your age plus seven.”

“Well, until your birthday, that’s exactly where we are.”

“Hell of a birthday present,” Leonard drawled. “‘Happy birthday, let’s break up.’”

“Are you saying we’re dating?” she countered.

He frowned, seeing her grin a little too late and realizing she was teasing him. “Yes.”

“Good,” Sara said, her arms tightening around his as they crossed the street.

They lost themselves in the quiet night and conversation until they reached Sara’s apartment building. Leonard felt his phone buzz a few times but ignored it. The only reason it wasn’t exploding completely was that Lisa was on her honeymoon, though he didn’t expect her restraint to last.

Leonard walked Sara up to the third floor and though she had her keys in her hand, she made no move to unlock it. Leonard leaned against the frame on the other side.

“So how long for you?” he asked, curious.

She looked up at him, confusing.

“How long have you liked me?”

Sara laughed a little, tucking her hair behind her ear. The green sweater made her blonde hair even brighter. “Uh, from the second you told me how to punch someone.”

“That long, huh?” He smirked slightly.

“Shut up,” Sara said with a grin, shaking her head. “I tried not to. But every time I thought I was getting over it, you’d do something else. Even in the military, no one could compare. And when I came back and we started getting closer…” she trailed off and shrugged.

“Who knew all those late-night conversations over Lucky Charms would lead to this?” Leonard said.

Sara laughed again and edged a little closer, dropping her voice. “Wanna know a secret?”

Leonard arched a brow, tilting his head down to hear.

Sara stepped nearer, into his space, and Leonard stayed very still as she edged closer, her eyes darting between his. Carefully, and uncharacteristically hesitant, she stretched up on her toes and kissed him.

Leonard inhaled, a spark going from his lips to his chest. He kissed her back, the hesitancy fading, but still soft and gentle. Reaching up, he cupped her face with one hand, feeling her hand hold onto his arm to steady herself.

Sara broke away before too long, though not moving very far. Leonard tucked her hair behind her ear, playing with the blonde strands for a moment as he caught his breath.

“I don’t like Lucky Charms,” Sara said quietly. “Never have.”

He chuckled, leaning his head against hers for a second. “You played the long game, Rocky.”

“Worth it,” she grinned, playing with the zipper on his coat. “Wanna come inside?”

Leonard smiled. “Yeah.”

Sara unlocked the door and stepped inside, glancing over her shoulder at him.

Leonard followed, his eyes fixed on his future, and shut the door behind them.


End file.
